Just got back from my niece’s Birthday party. She’s 3 years old now – and I remember the day she was born like it was a few months ago. I clearly remember going with the family to the Hospital that night. All the nurses and staff doing their jobs to ensure everything would go as “smoothly” as possible. It’s interesting how once the Doctor arrived, a sense of everything “being in control” set in. Looking back now, I wonder: would “any” doctor set the same tone? Was it because those nurses and staff where so familiar with that doctor, that it made things seem like clockwork? Maybe. We can all agree that there are standard medical procedures. I’m sure they’ve been developed over the years to limit any risks of staff/nurse/doctor misunderstandings and miscommunications. For a moment, let’s put it in the light of “leadership” – that is, if the Doctor was the “Leader” envisioning a healthy baby delivery (and happy Mom, Dad, etc.), how effective would he be if this was his first delivery, and if none of the staff had ever him? Would all the “standard procedures” smooth it all out? – Or would there be “friction” and miscommunication ?
Other than medical dramas – I am not much for spending time in Hospitals. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to have to work with the pressure of having human lives entrusted to your hands. I cannot even place myself in such an imaginary scenario where I would have to influence a group’s behavior based on my prognosis to try to save someone… and what if I were wrong? How do I live with myself? I’m sure most of us have dealt with pressure in the workplace in some sort, shape and form. Most of us may have had to make quick decisions – right, wrong and indifferent and live with the consequences.
If we think back to those moments, how would things been different if we were in a more “hostile” environment where every decision was challenged? Or – the exact opposite, working with a team that knew us for years and did exactly what was asked without question?
In my prior entry, I tried to describe “Situational Leadership” in a simple, colorful form (http://pathofaleader.blogspot.com/2010/02/does-one-size-fit-all.html ). As long as it was, I could not capture all of it’s beauty. I still highly recommend that everyone read the book (http://www.blanchardlearning.com/templates/group.asp?group=5 ). After reading the concepts, we will realize that we can’t expect to lead everyone with just one style. Our leadership behavior should depend greatly on the level at which our followers are. However, even with the adjustability and flexibility in our leadership style, there will be situations that we may not be as effective as we would like to. Why? All of us who have had a few years of experience working in industry and corporate, know that there are so many other factors and variables in our environment that we cannot anticipate. In Fielder’s Contingency Theory (http://www.envisionsoftware.com/articles/Fiedlers_Contingency_Theory.html ) the ability of the Leader is “dependant upon the perception of subordinates of and by the leader, the leader’s relationship with them, and the degree of consensus on the scope of a given task…” Furthermore, the effectiveness of a leader may be “contingent on factors such as stress level in the organization, type of work, flexibility of the group to change, and use of technology…”
Therefore, it is safe to say that there is much, much more than adjusting our leadership styles to favor an outcome. For example, a leader may try to reach out and encourage followers to share knowledge/information with him/her and the team. However, the stress level may be so high in the organization that building trust may be difficult if not impossible. What kind of stress? In tough economic times like these – where “job security” is a must, many may choose to limit how much information or knowledge they share. In an attempt to make themselves “indispensible”, they actually cause more stress.
Before I continue lengthening this entry, I prefer to ask everyone to share your experiences here (add to comments below). I would like to hear about the factors that affected you – as a leader or a follower. Industry is optional (no company names, please), but I would like to learn if the contingency factors were positive, negative and how it affected the outcome.
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